Sunday, December 12, 2010

soul satisfying music

Theres music of all kinds. The kind of music that is pleasant and makes you smile, the kind that kicks your butt and makes you get up and dance, the kind thats so mellow it makes you lie back and ponder, the kind that can play in the background by itself and put you in the right frame of mind to work, the kind that makes you head bang mindlessly, the kind that just makes you happy. And then theres the kind of music that grabs your attention and makes you want to do nothing else but listen. And feel it. In the lyrics. The rhythm and groove. The tones and the vocals. The music, the chords and the melody. The kind that says something to you. The kind that touches you and speaks to you in a way that only music can.

My grand dad always said that heartfelt music, performed/sung/delivered with emotion and intention, would always connect with the listener, regardless of the kind of music or listener. And Iv found this to be true in so many cases.

I listen to all kinds of music. From obsessing over the nostalgia that The Beatles bring, to the heady trip of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, to my new triphop/ambient music phase with the likes of Bonobo and Zero7, to mellower music like that of John Mayer, Iv found that there are some tracks that just hit the right spot. It doesnt happen uniformly with every song/track performed by an artist that I identify with. But with those select few, when that connect happens, that aha moment, that sudden gasping ohmigawwsh connect that sweeps you off your feet and transports you to another world, can give that music a whole different meaning.

I felt that again last night. Im a big John Mayer fan. Mostly because I think hes hugely talented, very grounded, writes beautifully and makes some amazing tunes and music. An all rounded musician, he is. And the reason I really like him is because so much of his music makes that special connection with me. Speaks to me. Its music I identify with. Lyrics that speak of things Iv felt and done. Melody thats clever, beautiful and soul stirring. And boy when he gets the groove on, he gets it on like he really means it. And thats what makes all the difference.

Last night I wasnt sleepy. And Id run out of downloads to watch. So I turned on the "Where the light is" gig that I had actually downloaded many moons ago, but just never got down to watching. And here is the opening scene:



It gave me goose bumps. That pretty much says it all.

The rest of the gig only goes upwards from that point on. John Mayer in 3 avatars. His newer style, his trio with their typical bluesy funky style, and his popular tugging-at-the-heart mellow music. This one gig alone took me through such a spectrum of emotions. From goosebumps in the beginning, to head bumping groove and rhythm that made me move even though I was lying in bed, tense silence when he lazily wandered over the frets of his guitar before wandering on to a familiar tune that made a favorite song recognisable, to having a lump in my throat at certain poignant musical moments in the gig, when he hit just the right note, took me by surprise and got carried away with a massive guitar-drum conversation with his insane drummer, to downright tears when he sang gravity.

John Mayer is like the Jamie Oliver of music to me. The same intensity, same raw passion and sheer joy at doing something he loves. It just comes through. Gushes out and engulfs you. John Mayers got it all. And everything hes got is all in this one gig. I absolutely must watch him live. I just added it on my bucket list. My life would be incomplete without it.

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